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2022 Rivian Initial Review

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Finally picked up our Rivian R1T pickup last Thursday.
Initial order date: 6/24/2019.
Build: Launch Edition, color LE Green, interior Forest Green, wheels 21" All-Season.
Price: $75,000. Qualifies for $7500 fed credit.

Thoughts - It's a well-thought out design. Things like:
  • An internal air compressor with a hose long enough to reach all four tires.
  • Full sized spare storage can double as an ice-chest.
  • Power frunk with subcompartment.
  • Tether Lock with alarm that latches into the bed for locking down cargo.
  • Power tonneau that completely vanishes.
  • Integrated first-aid kit in 'tunnel door'.
  • Lots and lots of storage areas, most are waterproof and locking.
  • Lots of USB-C and 12v and 120vac ports.
  • Alexa works really well for home integration and navigation, etc.
  • Tailgate articulates to 7 foot OAL.
  • Has 4 off-road modes: All Purpose, Rock Crawl, Rally, Drift. A 5th Sand Mode is ready for OTA upgrade.
  • You can turn off the Stability and Traction Control.
  • Has a Conserve mode that runs only the front two motors.
  • Rear seats have their own touch screen for climate.
  • Built-in removable flashlight in driver's door.
  • Built-in removable party speaker (BT).
  • Locking under rear seat storage.
  • Can wade though 39" of water.
  • Charge port in front for easier trailering.
  • 12v emergency jumper cables in rear by hitch if your 12v dies.
  • and much more.
The ride is smooth and the interior is quiet. However you can hear the electric motors a bit. Controls are easy to use and similar to the Model X Raven. When set to Sport Mode, it is very quick. Tons of regen, way more than the MX. I picked it up with 301 estimated miles in the battery, then drove home 82 miles. The mileage meter said 221 miles remaining.
Fit and finish is excellent for any brand. It is very similar in quality to our Jaguar I-Pace First Edition (most expensive trim). While the seats are both heated and cooled, and are attractive, they are not as good as the 24-way leather Windsor seats of the Jaguar, but that is a very tough act to follow. Nor is it going to put Porsche Taycan Turbo S out of business. The TTS is the current benchmark for luxury EVs and has the best handling I've encountered in an EV. But the handling on the R1T is nearly as good as the I-Pace but I need to go to the track to verify that.

I will know more as I do some actual charging, off-road, and racetrack tests. So far, so good.
 

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Picture of the tunnel somebody snapped at a local Cars and Coffee event. Note the end of the driver's door, and you can see the front of the removable flashlight, and the tunnel door flap is a bit open where the air hose for the compressor goes. The tunnel doors can be used as a chair or a foot step, they support 250lb:
 

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Range data point: Start 226 mi, end 55 mi, map mi 170, speed 70 mph roundtrip Norco to Poway, CA. eBike in bed in airflow. ie - battery SOC calculation based on EPA range is conservative.

Start 70% SOC, End 16% SOC. Map says 85 miles each way. 10 miles of congestion on the way back. Navigation matched time estimate to (you are not going to believe this) less than 2 minutes error. Conserve mode in ACC.
AutoSteering would not function with bicycle in bed blocking camera.
Power tonneau is already acting up.

EPA Highway Range for R1T = 293 miles. 170 mile loop indicates 315 miles total range at 70 mph in hilly terrain.
 
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Reactions: Zer0t and DrGriz
Irony - The Rivian with the Large Battery (all at this point) fails to gather any California EV program support, it's too heavy by 32 lbs for one program (8532lb GVWR) and too expensive for the other (over $45k). This is the EV capitol of the US.